The present invention relates to communication networks, and more particularly to communication networks that carry data and media in different communication protocols between a plurality of users over one or more communication lines between two nodes over the network.
The rapid evolution of communication networks including wireless communication networks for mobile communications, such as but not limited to, Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) networks, 3G networks, etc. creates loads over existing networks. A common communication session may be composed of several types of data (media): voice, video, computer data, signaling, etc. In addition, a single connection between two points (e.g. a source and a destination of a session) may be conducted over several types of networks: PSTN, TDMA, FDMA, ATM, IP, CDMA, cellular networks (1G or 2G or 3G), microwave links, etc. In addition to the versatility that is mentioned above, a certain type of data may further be compressed or encrypted. The result of the above complexity is that a single communication connection between two points on the network may be based on a plurality of network standards and communication protocols, compression standards, and encryption methods.
One common topology between a central location and a plurality of users can have a shape of a tree. In such architecture, a central point may be connected to one or more intermediate nodes, each intermediate node may be connected to one or more other intermediate nodes and or to one or more end-user devices (terminals). For example, in a 2G cellular network, a central node can be a BSC (base station controller) and an intermediate node can be a BTS a base transceiver stations (BTSs). In a 3G network a central node can be a Radio Network Controller (RNC) and an intermediate node can be a node base station (Nb), for example. Another common topology can have a shape of a ring in which a central point (RNC or BSC, for example) and an intermediate node (BTS or Nb, for example) are connected to the ring. Exemplary terminals can be a cellular phone, a PDA with cellular capabilities, or any other computerized device that can generate and/or receive audio, video, data or any combination of those via a communication network, such as but not limited to, a cellular network.
Usually a communication line between a central point and an intermediate node or between two intermediates nodes can carry a plurality of communication sessions between one or more other intermediate nodes and/or one or more terminals. Different types of networks and protocols can be used over the communication line. The communication line can be based on Time Division Multiplexing Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Addressing Time Multiplexing (ATM), Ethernet, etc. Each communication line can be divided into a plurality of channels. Each channel can be dedicated to a single connection between two terminals. There are some communication protocols in which a channel can be divided into two or more sub-channels. Each sub-channel can be dedicated to a single connection (session). Usually the data transportation over a connection between an intermediate node and a central node can be organized in data units such as frames, packets, cells, chunks, sub-frames, etc. It should be noted that the terms “frames”, “packets”, “cells”, “chunks”, and “sub-frames” are used interchangeably herein. Henceforth, the description of the present invention may use the term ‘frame’ as a representative term for any of the above group. Each frame can have a header and a payload.
A common way to satisfy the users' needs in a communication system, as well as the capacity of a service provider infrastructure is by offering different types of services with different levels of quality of service (QoS). For example, real time communication telephone session over a cellular network may have the highest level of QoS. Data communication based on Internet Protocol (IP) can have quality of service such as “best effort”, for example. Communication based on the IP protocol may have different levels of service. For example, communication based on a transport protocol such as TCP/IP may have a different level of service than communications that are based on the user datagram protocol (UDP/IP), etc.
In order to satisfy the needs of the users and the capacity of the network, bandwidth management decisions are made. Exemplary decisions can include dropping certain types of communications, increasing latency of other types of communications, etc. However, it should be appreciated that if the management decision has to be taken in an intermediate node, it can be difficult to identify the type of the communication over a certain channel. For instance, the entire IP packet with its headers can be encrypted as the payload of a data frame used over the channel, or information on the type of data can be transferred over another channel, such as a signaling channel, etc.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system and method for identifying the type of communication that is transferred between two intermediate nodes over a communication link that includes a plurality of different channels or sub-channels carrying encrypted data. Based on the identified type of communication or protocol, bandwidth management decisions can be taken. Such a system can improve bandwidth utilization while taking into consideration the promised level of QoS.